London is an exciting metropolis just beckoning to be explored! Past Review
By Laura B (ESS Pre-professional, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 03/15/2014 to 03/22/2014 with
University of Wisconsin La Crosse: London - College of Liberal Studies Faculty-Created and Led Study Abroad Programs
I learned much about London's past from all the historical sites and saw a glimpse of the future with London's trend-setting society.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This is one of those trips that you get whatever you put into it! We were scheduled for trips every day to go to iconic places like the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Stratford upon Avon, as well as museums and plays. However come evening, we were completely free to hop on the Tube (London's subway system) and explore London for ourselves. Overall, it was a perfect balance of organized activities and individual adventure! As for the city of London and the English countryside, it was a beautiful contrast. I could have easily stayed in England for a month and still only scratched the surface of what this lovely country has to offer. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I don't know quite how to rate this one since I worked with all administration from UW-La Crosse. That being said, they were great. They were very organized and always kept me informed - both in the US and England. It was so nice having my entire trip - from transportation to accommodations - planned our for me! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our hotel, Thistle Barbican, was an excellent choice for housing. It was immaculate and a huge breakfast was provided every morning before we left for the day. It was not in a busy part of London, but a nice walking distance from the Tube. The only negative was the small room sizes which are typical of Europe (therefore I won't rate housing down any for this characteristic). |
| * Food: |
Like most big cities, there's great food everywhere, but you have to look for it and it's usually VERY expensive. As a poor college student, I usually packed a big snack for lunch and shared dinner with my friend (like the US, portions are large). As I mentioned earlier, the only meal covered by the program is breakfast. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since I was only there for a week, obviously I didn't get very integrated into the culture. However, I was given more time, I think it would be fairly easy to integrate with the culture (especially in a smaller English town) since there is no language barrier. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Before leaving, the administration ensured that everyone was covered with traveler's insurance. Luckily, neither I nor anyone else on the trip had to use it! |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in London. Like any big city, traveler's need to take precautions and always have a buddy when exploring the city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
London is an expensive city. As I mentioned earlier, I packed lunches and very little on souvenirs, but if you really want to experience the culture (which I did) you need a decent amount of money. There are some free attractions (The Victoria and Albert museum), but the must-see attractions (the theatre, Tower of London, etc.) and food prices negates inexpensive activities. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use the Tube and buses as apposed to the taxis Eat a huge breakfast, pack a lot of snacks, and share meals Buy last minute tickets for shows (poor seating, great prices) Go easy on the souvenirs - look for "Poundland" stores where everything is a pound (~$1.75)! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had done a bit more research on modern Great Britain. I learned a lot while I was over there, but it would have been nice to have more of a base. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
English Literature |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Natalie Eschenbaum |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was actually taught at my college in the United States and a small group from this course traveled to London over Spring Break. It was incredible to visit locations that we studied previously in class like the Tower of London and see manuscripts from famous texts like Beowulf in the British library. It simply made the stories we had been reading come to life! And of course, Natalie, who moved to the US from England, was a engaging and knowledgeable teacher. She often took on the role of tour guide during our time in England and enjoyed sharing her married love of England and its literature with all of us. |
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